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John Tortorella didn’t even greet Patrik Laine when they saw each other for the first time
Marc-Olivier Cook
John Tortorella didn’t even greet Patrik Laine when they saw each other for the first time
Credit: Getty Images
John Tortorella is a special coach.

He is known for his fiery personality, and he is recognized as a coach who does things differently.

For better or for worse…

Patrik Laine – who was a guest on the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast – spoke about his relationship with his former coach and recounted the time when the two men met for the first time.

The Canadiens player remembers it… Because at the time, Torts hadn’t even said hello before throwing him this line:

We had a game that night. I had never seen him and all he said to me was: “Don’t mess up on the ice tonight!” – Patrik Laine

Laine also recounted that in his third game with the Blue Jackets, Tortorella benched him because the player hadn’t responded appropriately to a coach.

That’s when he realized he had to stay in line with Torts:

It must be special for sure.

You don’t necessarily expect that kind of welcome when you join a new team… And you also don’t expect your coach to talk to you that way when it’s the very first time you see him.

But, well. Torts is Torts!

Laine touched on several topics during the interview, and there are a few things that caught my attention.

He said that the Canadiens’ doctors were worried that his season might be over after his injury in training camp, but that’s not all:

1. It was more difficult for him at the start in Columbus, where he recorded 21 points (10 goals) in his first 45 games in a Blue Jackets uniform.

Things improved later on: he was on a pace of one point per game in 21-22 (56 points in 56 games) and had success in 22-23 as well (52 points in 55 games)… But for him, it wasn’t important because the team wasn’t winning.

Laine wanted the win above all else.

2. Taking a break from hockey to focus on what wasn’t going well in his life was beneficial for him. He states that it was the best decision of his life, and today he is thankful because he has found happiness again.

You can sense in his words that it was a major trial.

3. Just before taking a break to recharge… Laine thought about giving it all up.

He no longer wanted to play hockey because he felt the need to move on.

He sees a therapist three times a week since that moment to talk about what is going well and what isn’t, and he says he is happier than ever right now.

The love he receives from fans and his teammates in Montreal plays a role in all of this, by the way. Laine says that playing for the Canadiens is “really” special:

4. The main interested party says he is looking forward to the Four Nations Tournament because he wants to solidify his place on the Finnish team ahead of the Olympics.

He wasn’t sure that Finland would invite him to participate in the event taking place in a few weeks because he hadn’t played for a while at the time teams were announced, but he is happy because he wants to prove he is still one of the best sharpshooters on the planet.

5. Laine was asked about the death of Johnny Gaudreau, and he paused before sharing his reaction.

He said that he and Johnny had become good friends because they sat next to each other in the locker room and on the plane. Ultimately, the news hurt him.

6. A few years ago, there was a rumor that Laine and Nikolaj Ehlers were buying TVs on the road to play Fortnite.

Laine reacted to that rumor by saying this:

That’s total b*llshit! – Patrik Laine

However, he claims that he played a lot of video games in Winnipeg because he didn’t necessarily want to go out to see other people.

On his days off, he could sometimes start playing at 8:30 AM… Until midnight!

Patrik Laine really seems to be in a good place right now, and it shows in his comments.

He loves his new environment, enjoys his time with his new teammates, and appreciates the support from the fans in Montreal.

And it’s well-deserved after what he has experienced in recent years.


In Brief

– Yeah! Win or lose tonight against the Lightning?

– Indeed.

– It’s understandable. But he will have to make another call too.

– Incredible…

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